North Coast
WA
Better late than never for Karratha barra DAMPIER/KARRATHA
Troy Honey
We had a very slow start to the Karratha barra season in 2023, due to the water temp staying cooler. However, the start of February saw the temperature blast through the 30°C mark, and the result was tight lines in all creeks and multiple barra reports coming in thick and fast. The neap tides of the last weekend in January is when things started to turn, and by the first weekend of February during the full-moon spring tides, the season was well underway. All creek systems to the south of Dampier and north of Karratha are fishing well for barra, as is Balla Balla up at Whim Creek. There are also plenty of queenfish and threadfin in the systems, and no shortage of big mud crabs, especially on the spring tides. The deeper holes around the mouths of the creeks are holding blue swimmer crabs but you need to get your nets right down the bottom of the holes; nearby isn’t good enough, and won’t produce crabs. Mangrove jacks are plentiful now and can be enticed out of their rock holes with surface lures cast
Wet season brings warmer water temps and with it, increased bluebone activity along the shoreline. The author caught quite a few bluebone on fresh rock crabs last month, including this 630mm male on the rising tide of a new moon.
Big mud crabs are plentiful in Karratha. The full moon is the best time to target them because they use the moonlight and big tides to hunt.
as close as you can get to the rocks. Try all around the islands, working each of the rocky outcrops. It is here that an electric motor is essential. Trying to use an anchor is too difficult, and even dangerous at times, likewise with drifting. There are some extremely sharp
and solid rocks that will tear your hull open in seconds, and they’re hidden well by the rising and falling tides. It’s all too easy to become complacent. You must have an electric motor when fishing Karratha. People often ask me how I get so many bluebone, the answer
is simply an electric motor with anchor mode. I would never get a boat without one. Likewise, when chasing GTs around the shoals, an electric motor is an unbeatable tool. There have been quite a few monster GTs landed during February by anglers casting and
Arm stretchers are cruising close to shore EXMOUTH
Barry Taylor
The weather lately been surprisingly nice, with most days being warm but still. There has been the odd really windy day, however the gulf generally gets at least half a day of good, fishable weather
each day. There’s been lots and lots of big GTs on the outside of the reef. A recent report of a man who gets them off his kayak, along with a few red bass as well, has had locals amazed at his dedication. Blue and black marlin are still being caught in fantastic numbers. A customer and marlin novice
Strada Tempest stickbaits and Storm So-Run Minnows are popular lures for the spangos. Fishing in this way has also been producing trout, GTs, red bass, Spaniards
Max soft vibes claiming good numbers of rankin cod, red emperor and coral trout. NEXT MONTH There hasn’t been a lot of news on the
Chris Johnson with a huge Spanish mackerel caught on a 70g jig. Image courtesy of @tackleworldexmouth.
A black marlin caught on a Richter lure. The outfit was a Saltiga LD40 matched to a Saltiga Tournament 8/10. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh. 110 MARCH 2023
mentioned getting four billfish from five hook-ups – pretty good for a first timer! Anglers towing lures such as Richter Soft Grassies and Soft Oscars have been doing the best. Great numbers of whiting have been reported with the warmer water on the gulf side. Most of
the better fish have been taken on topwater lures, with poppers and stickbaits such as the Jackson Pygmy Popper doing most of the damage. A few spangled emperor have been caught off the shore, in fact they seem to be more abundant than usual! Nomad Mad Scads,
The elusive permit is on many anglers’ bucket lists. Image courtesy of @indepthangler_josh. and other pelagics close to shore. Those with boat have been finding success fishing vertically over patches of reef, with Nomad Vertrex
crabbing front, however this may improve over the coming weeks. Looking ahead, the weather is likely to stay the way it has been for
